Instant pot is it worth it?

Cherryfudge

What do you have in? Anything that needs to be finished?

Take your pick from butterbeans, chickpeas or kidney beans. 

Rosa_Damascena

I soaked some navy beans and will have a go at making baked beans minus the maple syrup: https://simple-veganista.com/healthy-baked-beans-instant-pot/ . 

I cannot bear the syrupy offerings found in the supermarket but would be happy to eat spicy ones! We shall see...

Rosa_Damascena

Tell a lie - it was Carioca beans I soaked, I grabbed the wrong jar (navy on the LHS):

Beans once pressure cooked actually look v bake bean like:

I took them out of the pressure cooker and let the sauté function do the rest (windows fully open). Final result:

Cherryfudge

Ah, but how do they taste, @Rosa_Damascena? They certainly seem to have softened nicely.

Rosa_Damascena

I tasted them and thought they were ok - but probably could have done with a dash less vinegar. You can probably see I chopped some sundried tomatoes and a dried red chilli into the mix. My dad really liked it however and was happy to accept the dish!

Cherryfudge

I would have thought those additions were a very good idea. Just a bit more kick than usual.

Rosa_Damascena

In an attempt to clear the fridge yesterday I made a big batch of spicy sweetcorn chowder in my soup maker, and 2 batches of ice-cream. Coffee and pecan was made in the ice-cream maker but the second batch (raspberry) had to be hand churned as the freezer bowl takes up a great deal of space. Both taste good and are ready when I next have guests over.

I'm going to have to give the PKP a rest for a bit as my freezer is full of goodies now! It feels a bit wasteful to only make small amounts but I am going to have to start running it down before I attempt anything else.

Fruball

Rosa_Damascena said:

Quick update - the PKP is working out really well!

After cleaning as per the instruction booklet, my first attempts were conservative: I boiled huge potatoes, then a small portion of plain rice followed by some soaked chickpeas - all were perfect without having to play with the timer too much. This week I made black bean soup (using dried turtle beans that have been hanging round for a decade!) which turned out great once I semi-pulped it with my stick blender. Finally I made a rice and lentil dish in it which was easy peasy too. What doesn't get eaten gets portioned up and frozen. The PKP is just as transformative as my soup maker and I am very happy with it.

The plan going forward is to use it once a week and cook either 2 or 3 dishes in it before it goes back in the cupboard for the rest of the week and I am enjoying looking out for recipes of YouTube. I quite like this site: https://rainbowplantlife.com/mealplans/ 

My fridge is now looking strangely scarce, but for the cooked dishes, cheese, fruits and condiments! And although I am eating health food I am craving a stodgy pudding - think this is more to do with the change of weather than anything else though!

I use my PKP all the time!  I ditched the SC as I prefer the fresher flavours from the PKP.  I found with the SC that everything tasted the same. With the PKP, carrots taste like carrots even in a stew, each flavour of the ingredients is still recognisable but as a delicious stew/casserole etc.  Plus I can have a hearty casserole on the table in 25 mins! 

I now have 2 PKPs!  One to cook in and I use the other one to waterbath food in jars to store in the larder.  Even though I have a tiny kitchen, I never put them away as they are used so often! 

Glad you are enjoying yours

Rosa_Damascena

@Fruball - I was sceptical when I heard that the Instant Pot was life changing but I have seen it for myself. I have never been much of a cook (bear in mind I am in my 50s now) because I am hypersensitive to smells but having this sealed unit available to me has literally changed the way I eat and now I am far less reliant on processed foods. I'm not sure that there has been any weight loss, but I feel better for it.

Habit is now to take it out once a week and get 3 different uses out of it - sometimes in tandem with my soup-maker - before I put it away. There are jars of pulses and lentils that have been lying there for decades that are now starting to empty, and my freezer is full of different curries now. I need never buy a tin of chickpeas or kidney beans again!!

Fruball

Rosa_Damascena said:

@Fruball - I was sceptical when I heard that the Instant Pot was life changing but I have seen it for myself. I have never been much of a cook (bear in mind I am in my 50s now) because I am hypersensitive to smells but having this sealed unit available to me has literally changed the way I eat and now I am far less reliant on processed foods. I'm not sure that there has been any weight loss, but I feel better for it.

Habit is now to take it out once a week and get 3 different uses out of it - sometimes in tandem with my soup-maker - before I put it away. There are jars of pulses and lentils that have been lying there for decades that are now starting to empty, and my freezer is full of different curries now. I need never buy a tin of chickpeas or kidney beans again!!

Glad it is serving you well.  I am obsessed with my electric pressure cookers!  Such an easy and efficient way to cook healthy foods.